Electrically-fired missile



Dec. 30, 1-969 E,'MOORE ET AL 3,486,451

ELECTRICALLY-FIRED MI S 5 IL E Filed Dec. 26 1967 FIG. 10

ALVIN EDWARD MOORE AND WM.- ANsEL THOMPSON,

INVENTORS.

ATTORN EY United States Patent 86,451 ELECTRICALLY-FIRED MISSILE Alvin E. Moore, 916 Beach Blvd, Waveland, Miss. 39576, and William Ansel Thompson, R0. Box 264, Merryville, La. 70653 Filed Dec. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 693,228 Int. Cl. F42b 13/26, 13/24 U.S. Cl. 102-38 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF II-IE DISCLOSURE A missile adapted to be fired by a firing pin from within the barrel of a launcher, having: a heavy-nosed body; flight-stabilizing means (preferably arrow-type fins); launching propellant in a combustible holder rearward of said body; and, preferably, a hollow internal space that contains rocket propellant and has a jet-forming exit that is closed by a combustile disk which burns more slowly than the rocket propellant, and thus prevents firing of the rocket propellent until the missile is launched. The hollow space may be pear-shaped; or it may be cylindrical and so small in diameter in relation to its length that a strong jet is formed without a choked exit.

This invention pertains to a missile or projectile adapted to be fired thru a gun barrel or thru a cylindrical gasconfining rocket launcher. Its basic inventive principles may be used in the manufacture of ammunition or peacetime missiles for hand-guns, rifles, artillery, rocket launchers, shotguns (firing a number of the invented projectile), or toys.

In his thousandyear development of missiles that are fired from guns by ignited powder man has turned from a match at a touchhole and the matchlock to the flintlock, to the percussion cap--and from powder rammed down the barrel from its muzzle to breechloaded, percusionfired ammunition comprising a pre-packed charge of powder in a shell. The breech-loaded cartridge, having a detonating primer and an ejectable case, which replaced the laboriously re-charged muzzle-loader, has now been in common use for well over a century, but it has several important disadvantages. Chief among these is the necessity of ejecting the shell after it is fired. This involves extra complication in firearm structure and extra expense in the material and labor of forming the shell.

In view of these facts, an object of the present invention is to provide an efiicient powder-fired, streamlined missile of relatively simple construction, each part of which is either fired from or burned within the gun or rocket-launcher barrel. A further purpose is to provide such a missile comprising an eflicient launching-propellent holder that requires no manual or automatic ejection, but is burned within the barrel after each firing. Another object is to produce missile having a launching powder that is held in place by a rapidly burnable propellent-retaining element which is easily penetrated by a firing pin of low force in a gun or rocket launcher, and having rocket propellant that is effective during the flight of the missiles main body to rocket-propel the projectile.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description of the inventive structure, and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Patented Dec. 30, 1969 FIGURE 1 is a sectional view from a plane thru the longitudinal axis of a projectile having a single powder chamber.

FIGURE 2 is a view in section from a plane thru the longitudinal axis of a rocket having a single internal powder chamber.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view from such a plane of another form of the rocket, with a single, internal powder chamber and arrow-like stabilizing fins.

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevated view of the missile of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view from a plane thru the longitudinal axis of a boat-tailed (streamlined) projectile having a launching-propellent charge fixed to its stern in a combustible, cup-shaped shell.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view from such a plane of a boat-tailed projectile having such a charge and shell and comprising arrow-like stabilizing fins; and FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the missile of FIGURE 6 from the plane of line 77 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view from a plane thru the longitudinal axis of a rocket-propelled form of the missile that comprises a shell-encased charge of propulsive powder at its stern.

FIGURES 9 and 10 are longitudinal sectional views of missiles that are similar to the projectile of FIGURE 8 but have variations of projectile structure from that of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 11 is a detail view in longitudinal section from a plane similar to that of FIGURE 10, showing on an enlarged scale one type of rocket-propellent package for the rocket-propelled missile.

Each of the illustrated forms of this invention comprises the main body of a missile and, at its stern, a charge of propulsive powder that is retained :in place before firing by a readily combustible element (a membrane, plug, cup or shell), said element having a thickness and a material which permit a pointed firing pin in a firearm or rocket launcher to penetrate the element and pass thru it into the propulsive powder. This firing pin may be pre-heated or may produce a spark at its point. Although it is preferably energized by electrical-resistance heating or passage of an electric current and spark between spark-points in its pointed end, any suitable means for its pre-heating or for the production of propellentfiring heat or a spark at its point may be utilized.

The following basic features of the invention are illustrated in the drawings: (I) a missile, shown in FIG- URES 1, 2, 3 and 8 (preferably boat-tailed or streamlined as illustrated in FIGURES 2 to 10), having an internal chamber, and comprising tail fins, and a single, internal charge of combustible powder indicated by the numeral 1 in FIGURE 3 and by 11 in FIGURE 8, sealed at its stern by a planar combustible element, 2 or 2A; (II) a boat-tailed, streamlined missile, shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, comprising tail fins, and having an internal chamber and a plurality of internal charges of combustible powder, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7; (III) a boat-tailed, streamlined missile, shown in FIGURES 5 to 10, having a launching charge of propulsive powder in a cup-shaped, readily combustible shell at its stern; (IV) a rocket-propelled, streamlined missile, shown in FIGURES 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10, having an internal chamber and comprising: a charge (8, 9) of propulsive powder, held against the after portion of the missiles main body by a quickly combustible retainer, adapted to be fired while in a barrel of a gun or rocket launcher and thus to launch the projectile at high speed; and at least one charge of rocket-propulsive powder (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11) that propels the projectile during its flight; and (V) a streamlined, fin stabilized bullet or other missile, illustrated in FIGURE 6, comprising an after powder charge (1, 9, 10) that is retained in place before its firing by a readily combustible, waterproof element (2, 12 and 14) that has a planar stern, the charge and element being adapted to be fired inside a gun or launcher barrel.

The missile of the invention preferably comprises a stabilizer. In the projectiles of FIGURES l, 2, and 9 this stabilizing means optionally but not preferablymay comprise a relatively soft outer sheath or cover of aluminum or aluminum alloy on a hard core-for example a core of cast iron or pressed steel. The aluminum or aluminum alloy, which may be cast or hot-pressed in place on the iron core without melting the core, is adapted to be indented and gyroscopically turned by rifiing in a gun barrel. Alternatively, the stabilizing may be due to relatively soft material in the main body of the missilefor example, material comprising: 90 percent of copper and percent of zinc; or a combination of nickel and co per; or a leaden or copper core sheathed in a thin envelope of steel or nickel. Optionally also, the projectile of each of FIGURES 1, 2, 5 and 9 may have either such soft body material or, when it has a hard-material core, such as steel, cast-iron or hard alloy, a ring or band 16 of relatively soft material-for example of copper, aluminum, an alloy of aluminum or copper, or yieldable plastic, including flexible rubber-which is fixed to the main body of the projectile and is cut or made to yield by the rifling to set the missile in rotation.

The projectile of each of FIGURES 3, 6, 8 and 10 is shown as having means for stabilizing its attitude in flight comprising arrow-like, orthogonally-arranged fins 18 which may be separate from and afiixed to the streamlined main body of the missile but preferably, as shOWn, are integral with the main body. Optionally and preferably fins of this type may be substituted for the ring 16 in the projectile of FIGURES 2, 5 or 9. Such arrow-like fins are preferably utilized in a gun barrel or rocketguiding launcher element that is not rifled.

As indicated in each of FIGURES 1 to 3, 5, 6 and 8 to 10, the main body of the missile preferably is further stabilized in flight due to a preponderance of its weight in its forward portion. In FIGURE 9 a separately applied, auxiliary mass of the stabilizing forward metal is shown immediately in front of the numeral 4; it is illustrated as having a planar rear surface and a convex forward surface that is tightly joined to the concave inner surface of the projectile nose.

The configuration of the type of missile shown in FIGURES 1, 3 and 5 to 10, having a cylindrical after portion is especially adapted to use in a firearm having a magazine with a bore that fits around the projectile and a movable, missile-transferring firing chamber that has a cylindrical surface which also fits around the missile while it is being transferred into alignment with the bore of the barrel. This cylindrical after portion and the upright planar surface 20 (and/or the parallel fin ends 22) cause all parts of the uniform-diameter stern periphery of the projectile to enter the lfiring chamber at the same time, and thus prevent the entry of any portion of the missile until the magazine and firing-chamber bores are in registry. This feature' prevents jamming of a firing chamber of this movable type.

The after powder-retaining, waterproof element (2, 12, 14 or 22), adapted to be penetrated by a firing pin, comprises rapidly combustible material that is quickly ignited by a firing pin and the burning propulsive powder. A key to the nature of this material is that it must be burned in its entirety either by the time the missile leaves the gun or launcher or very shortly thereafter. Also the material preferably is such that at least its outer surface is not so highly inflammable as to involve great danger of its combustion while in storage. For example, it optionally may be: cellophane or other combustible plastic; magnesium; celluloid; collodion or any similar yieldable substance that is a dried solution of pyroxylinfor instance of guncotton; combustible wax, such as paraffin; parafiin or other wax that is mixed with an oxygensupplying substance such as black or smokeless gunpowder or potassium chlorate; pitch or asphalt, optionally mixed with oxygen-supplying gunpowder or potassium chlorate, sulfur-or-phosphorus-containing match type of material, preferably waterproofed by shellac, plastic cement or the" like; match-head type of materialwhich may comprise sulphosphiteand for example may be an ignition mixture that is unaffected by water or damp air and comprises phosphorus oxide, potassium chlorate, sulfur, zinc white or chalk or other filling material, and combustible waterproof glue (preferably flexible and adapted for easy penetration of a firing pin); smokelesspowder material, for instance nitrated g-uncotton that is dissolved in acetone or alcohol to form a gelatinous material which is dried in sheet or plate form; or any low explosive material which has sufiicient oxygen-supplying substance to cause the missiles powder-retaining element to burn substantially by the time the projectile leaves the gun or launcher but is not so rich in oxygen as to be dangerous. Any of the above listed powder-retaining element materials may be made more accident resistant and/or waterproof by an enveloping coat of fire-resistant material (which may be applied by dipping the missile in a plasticized form of the latter material (for instance, in fire-resistant paint) and drying it).

The combustible propulsive-powder-retaining element may be a preformed membrane, disk, or plug, 2, or a cup (12, 14 or 22), which is glued or otherwise securely fixed to the main body of the projectile; or-in the case of the type of end element shown at 2 or 2A--it may be poured in plastic condition into the upended stern of the powder-filled projectile cavity, onto the propulsive powder and then solidified.

Unless the material of the launching-powder-retaining element is quite easily penetrated by a pointed pincomprising for example such material as parafiin (having a melting point of 52.4 C.) or other combustible wax of low melting pointthe element is very thin. Its thickness and rigidity are such that a pointed firing pin may easily penetrate into and thru it.

The missile of each of the illustrated forms may be made of any material suitable for projectiles. This material may comprise, for example: lead; lead or copper, coated with a thin envelope of steel, nickel, aluminum, or an alloy of aluminum or nickel or with fire-resistant paint which also coats the after powder-retaining element; a cast iron or pressed-steel core sheathed in a relatively soft cover of aluminum or aluminum alloy; or copper-bearing steel.

The bullet or shot of FIGURE 1 or the rocketpropelled missile of FIGURE 10, having a largely cylindrical cavity or chamber, may be molded or pressed around a removable core that has the shape of the chamber. The rocket type of projectile shown in FIGURE 2 or FIGURE 8 may be made of separately pressed or molded halves. These are joined and bonded around the packed-powder or solid-fuel rocket propellant, along a plane thru the missiles longitudinal axis, with solder, welding or epoxy-resin cement. If the halves are bonded with solder or welding they and the powder or solid fuel that they contain are chilled immediately before the heat-bonding operations. The two parts of the projectile of FIGURE 3 may be likewise bonded, and/or screwed together; and the rocket of FIGURE 9 may be made like that of either FIGURE 2 or FIGURE 3.

In each of FIGURES 8 to 10 a projectile is illustrated which comprises combustible propellent, 8, for launching the projectile from a gun barrel or rocket launcher, in combination with a rocket chamber and in it gunpowder or solid-fuel rocket propellant (11 in FIGURE 8; 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in FIGURES 9 and In FIGURES 8 and 10 the powder or other propellent 8 is both astern of the main projectile body and, as illustrated in FIGURE 7, on the sides of the fins 18. This propellent, which may be black or smokeless powder, and the element 22 are burned in the gun barrel or rocket launcher, and propel the missile from the gun or launcher at high speed. Element 22 burns rapidly; but disk or plug 2A is a fire-delaying fuse, which preferably burns more slowly than 22, but fast enough to set the rocket propellent afire by the time the missile leaves the gun or other launcher.

In the projectile of FIGURE 8 there is only one charge of rocket propellent; but the unit of each of FIGURES 9 and 10 comprises a plurality of individual rocket-propulsive portions or packages, separated by slowly combustible disks 24 that, like 2A, are fuses which delay the firing of each of the after rocket-propellent packages until the fuel immediately to its rear is mostly burned. In practice, these disk-shaped fuses are preferably thicker than the thin launching-p0wder-retaining elements 2 and 22; and preferably each of the disks is an integral end of a propellent container of the general type shown in FIGURE 11. This receptacle has a curved periphery that snugly fits in the chamber of the missile of FIGURE 10 (or FIGURE 9) and sealingly contains one of the units of rocket propellant. Preferably it is made of one of the more slowly burning materials listed above as suitable for the elements 2 and 22; and preferably the after shell or cup 22 that is used with it burns more quickly than the material of 24. Also preferably, this cylindrical receptacle of FIGURE 11 burns more slowly than the rocket propellant it contains; and thus-especially when it is chilledit practically eliminates any danger of explosion of the rocket propellant when separately formed parts of the rocket are bonded by welding or soldering.

Containers of the type of FIGURE 11 make practical the use of granulated smokeless powder in the rocket charges of the two-part rocke't type of missile. The grains of smokeless powder, which preferably are of slow-burning large size, are thus held without spilling during assembly of the rocket parts.

The main body of the missile of FIGURE 10 is easily made in one integral part and in one operation of casting, die-casting, or hot or cold pressing around a removable core. This type of rocket is especially elongated. Preferably it is much longer in relation to diameter than the projectiles of FIGURES 1 to 9 and much longer than the present-day types of bullets that are fired from small arms. This extra length and the consequent long rocket-propellent chamber (features which also, optionally, may be incorporated in the missile of FIGURE 1) make feasible a relatively small diameter of the rocket chamber. And this small diameter (which in the proportions illustrated in FIGURE 10 is about one-fifteenth of the length of the proponent bore) enables efficient utilization of the principle of rocket propulsion without the common after nozzle or choke of rockets. In consequence this form of the main body of the rocket, including flanges 18, may be made simply, economically and efficiently in a single step of manufacture.

Within the scope of the following claims, various changes may be made in the disclosed structure. For example a plurality of the illustrated propellent-containing main bodies or missiles may be assembled in a single cup, 22-or in a common type of shotgun shell-and fired from a gun with one blast of launching powder. After being thus shot the missiles will continue to discharge burned propulsive gases until they have traveled much of the way to their destination.

In the claims the term boat-tailed means tapering in the general shape of a boats sternstreamlined or approximately streamlined.

We claim:

1; A missile, adapted to be fired by a firing pin from within the barrel of a launcher, having a rounded, streamlined forward portion, and an after portion that at least before its firing has a substantially planar stern structure with a rearmost surface which lies substantially in a plane normal to the axis of the missile and has no portion that is aft of said plane; and in the said missile:

the said after portion comprises: a boat-tailed part of dense material, fixed to said forward portion, round in cross-sectional planes normal to said axis; fins for stabilizing the missile in flight, fixed to said after portion, having outer edges that form elongated .lines in fore-and-aft planes containing the said axis; a cup of waterproof, combustible material, surrounding at least a major portion of said boat-tailed part, having a round, forward border that is sealingly joined to the said after portion, and comprising the said stern structure; and missile-launching propellant, contained in the said cup, and between the said fins.

2. Amissile as set forth in claim 1, having internal surfaces defining a hollow space within said forward and after portions, and further comprising: rocket propellent within said hollow space; a jet-forming exit for burned gases from said propellant at the rear end of said hollow space and of said boat-tailed part, comprising wall surfaces that define an opening; and a plug of combustible material in said exit.

3. A missile as set forth in claim 2, in which said hollow space is cylindrical, has a diameter that is no larger in area than said exit and is sufliciently small to cause a propulsive jet of substantial force at the unchoked exit, and has a length that is at least ten times the said diameter.

4. A missile as set forth in claim 2, further comprising at least one combustible element, burning more slowly than the said rocket propellant, forming a partition in said hollow space that divides the rocket propellant into fuse-separated masses.

5. A missile as set forth in claim 2, in which said rocket propellant is in at least separate parts, and each is encased in a container of combustible material which burns more slowly than said rocket propellant.

6. A missile as set forth in claim 2, in which said forward portion comprises a flight-stabilizing auxiliary mass of metal, placed at the forward end of said space, and within the forward end of the said forward portion.

7. A missile as set forth in claim 2, in which the said internal surfaces and hollow space are substantially in the shape of a pear, the larger portion of the space being located within the said forward portion of the missile, and the narrower, neck part of the space being adjacent to said exit.

8. A missile as set forth in claim 4, in which said rocket propellant comprises granulated powder.

9. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which said forward portion and boat-tailed part comprise a solid projectile.

10. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which said outer edges of the fins are in contact with and support portions of the said cup that are between said rim and said stern structure.

11. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which the said outer edges are spaced from portions of said cup that are between said rim and stern structure.

12. A missile as set forth in claim 1, in which the said stern structure of the cup is spaced rearward from the rear end of said boat-tailed part, and in which a portion of the said missile-launching propellant is in the space between said stern structure and said rear end.

13. A missile as set forth in claim 2, in which said plug of combustible material comprises substance having a melting point lower than sixty degrees, centigrade, poured in place while it is in plastic condition.

- References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Dibble 10249.3 Harris l0238 Fleischmann 10292.2 De Ganahl 102-38 X Kintzinger 102--38 Loedding 102-493 Gould 102-497 X Barton 10249.7 X

8 FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1921 France.

OTHER REFERENCES ROBERT F. STAHL, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

